We have shown that MgO can be dispersed on γ-Al2O3 with different loadings. The observed dispersion capacity of MgO on the surface of γ-Al2O3 is higher than the theoretical monolayer dispersion value. The surface area and the maximum in the pore size distribution gradually decrease with the increase in MgO content at low loadings. The surface area and the maximum in the pore size distribution of MgO/γ-Al2O3 decrease more rapidly when the MgO content is large because the pores of γ-Al2O3 become blocked. When small amounts of MgO are dispersed on the surface of γ-Al2O3, the catalyst is very active and shows a good selectivity for the synthesis of glycol ethers.